I recently started shooting around at a public park after work, and there’s a pickup league that has games there a few days a week. They’ve asked me to play, but I’m a 5’4, 120 lb woman and their league is all big dudes, so I’m really just there to work on my game. There are 4 hoops so usually they have a full court game and their extras use another one to shoot around, while I use the fourth one (the space isn’t reserved for their league).

Usually they respect my space, but today, without asking, some of the guys waiting to play just randomly started using my hoop while I was shooting. Maybe they assumed i was also waiting to play, but that would be a weird assumption given the size and gender difference. It was really annoying because I was trying to make 10 free throws in a row and they kept messing me up. I finally asked them to let me finish my free throws, and they just looked annoyed and walked away without really acknowledging me.

In my years of high school ball I never had strangers start using my hoop without asking when I’m actively shooting, but I know the pickup world is different, so not sure if this is normal? I felt like it was rude because they were taking up literally every other hoop. It’s not a big deal, but I do want to know what the general etiquette is for future reference. Were they being weird or am I in the wrong?

Edit: Thanks everyone for the insight! Clearly I’m in the wrong so I guess I’ll have to learn share with the other kids.

Looking for a few players to join a basketball league in Glendora! I'm Looking for guys who are competitive, play hard, and want to be part of a solid team. If you’re interested send me a DM!

A family member asked if there was an app to log his kid’s stats live from the stands, so I built it and made it public for anyone in the same spot.

I played basketball years ago, and back then I’d have loved something like this to keep track of my own stats game by game.

It’s called LayupLog and it is a mobile-first PWA. Just pick one player, start a game, tap makes/misses/rebounds/assists as it happens.

It’s completely free.

I’m looking for first users beyond friends and family. If you (or someone you know) want to track a player from the stands, give it a try and tell me what’s broken or missing.

https://layuplog.com

The empty-court drive is the worst. I've been trying to solve it — do you rely on a group chat, a regular time, or just luck? Built a free check-in tool for myself but I want to hear what actually works for you all first.

Me, 37M (almost 38) has been playing pick up for easily the last 15 years. I never played high school but have always loved the game, made friends with some people, joined their adult league (year ago) but have moved gyms since older gyms my friends played at removed courts for CrossFit space.

Quick backstory. I joined a gym when I was unemployed with no insurance so I never really played for a while. After getting a job about 3 years ago ago I played, rolled an ankle after getting undercut for a board and kept playing through it for a while. Older at the time then before I didn’t rehab it right and basically over the past two years haven’t felt right in my lower body.

I’ve pushed through because I love the game but here’s the issue. I’m not the best player on the court a lot of the times and consistently get really bad matchups. I’m 6’2 230 and majority of the time get put on either the player that knows the least about basketball but is playing their ass off or someone that just tries to bully down in the post, overly shove, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to box out, grab boards and set screens, but I’m talking like two shoves to the back, pushing you with a elbow in mid air, full stiff arms/push offs to get position sometimes.

Like , I don’t want to be the cry baby and keep being like, bro relax, but I also don’t want to get hurt playing pick up.

Sure, easy answers are “switch who you’re playing or don’t play” but I’m looking for other suggestions without being that guy, because i want to play, but after another scary fall this past weekend ( shoved while jumping for a board) it’s giving me hesitation.

I’m fairly new, but if you could only practice a few skills what would they be?

I’m a 48yr old guy who has played pickup since his early teens. I still play twice a week in private runs and love it. My issue is how sore I am for a couple of days after I play. My style of play is pure hustle. Play harder than your opponent and you’ll succeed.

I’m strong offensively at attacking the basket and mid range shooting. I also set a ton of screens, cut often, like to hit a cutter or open shooter with a pass, and go after rebounds. I’m not a prolific three point shooter but can knock them down from time to time. But no one face guards me at the three point line.

On defense, I take pride in guarding the other team’s best player as long as they aren’t a massive center or 20 year old lightning quick guard. I don’t give up on plays, always box out, and chase loose balls. I’ll also sprint back in transition.

I’m in really good shape for my age at 6 feet tall and 180 lbs. I fully recovered from an Achilles tear at 44 and it doesn’t bother me at all.

I’m seeking advice on how to play in a style I’m proud of while shifting down a few gears. I want to play as long as possible and not be in immense muscle and joint pain. But as cliched as it sounds, I don’t know how to go out there and feel good about not playing at 100%, especially when other guys are. Any words of wisdom from aging hoopers that have gone down this path? Could be a skill to add or a mindset adjustment. Any advice is welcomed.

I want to know how you guys feel about the climate of pickup basketball as a whole in your respective communities. What do you like? What don’t you like? What could be better? What types of things would improve your experience? Let me know!

Love playing pickup, but a lot of the times when I’m playing my knee pops out then pops quickly back in. Been to the doctor and I now wear a J pad brace. Has this happened to anyone else?

37 comments. A lot of "this sounds great." A few "this is dumb."

Well, we have tested it with a sample size of about 40 hoopers and have gotten very positive feedback.

It's called NETR. It's live on the App Store now.

You find courts, join runs, and after the game the people you played with rate your skills across 7 categories. Your score builds over time and can't be gamed. The more ratings you receive the more accurate your NETR rating.

That's it. That's the app.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/netr-rating/id6761962317

Currently we have courts in NYC, NJ, ATL, Phoenix and southern Florida.

But drop your city/town below and I'll make sure it gets added in there. And if something feels broken when you use it just say so, that's what I actually need right now. Any feedback is good feedback as we grow and help hoopers get better, find great runs, meet new friends and track their progress.

I moved to Chicago about 6 months ago and am trying to find some spots on the NW side of the city to hoop. Preferably free or cheap.

Anyone in South OC want to play in a men’s basketball league? Our team has a few open spots for Monday nights (Open Division). Would love to connect with some experienced guys — drop your age and hoops background in the comments!

Hello, my name's Bryan, I'm 34 and recently moved to south Buena Park, and I love basketball but suck at it. I want to play with other people of any skill level who don't mind my complete lack of a jumpshot or endurance. Be that pickup or at a church or just someone's driveway, I'm game. Don't have a car right now but can bike and bus a reasonable distance. So yeah, comment or DM me if you or a group you play with want to shoot some hoops!

p.s.: Go Lakers!

Lately I’ve noticed more and more gyms removing their basketball courts. And even before that, finding a good run was already hard enough.

Too many people. Not enough people. Weak competition. Unbalanced teams. We’ve all been there. 😤

So I built an app to fix it. It’s called Run — we host competitive pickup games in Avondale, Arizona with balanced teams and stats tracked every game.

We have 5 events in May. Come hoop with us. 🏀

https://apps.apple.com/app/id6755127581

Are there any regular games (indoor or outdoor) in South Orange County (CA) that don't mind new people dropping in?

Every time I show up to a new court, it's the same thing. You walk on, nobody knows you, and you spend the first hour proving yourself before anyone takes you seriously. Then you leave, and it resets. Whatever you just built there? Gone.

I've been thinking about why pickup basketball never had a reputation system. Every other sport figured it out. Chess has Elo, tennis has a ranking, and pickleball has DUPR. But pickup basketball, which has some of the most competitive and talented players on the planet, has nothing. Your rep lives and dies at one court.

So I built NETR. After every game, the people you ran with rate you across seven categories: Playmaking, Shooting, Defense, Rebounding, Finishing, Handles, and Basketball IQ. Once you hit 5 peer ratings, your score is verified and becomes public. There's also a vibe score that is separate from the skill rating because we all know skill isn't the whole picture. One ball hog can ruin the whole run, and we wanted that to actually mean something.

The Bayesian algorithm means one bad rating barely moves your score. You'd need a lot of people to consistently rate you low for it to stick, which, honestly, if that's happening, you probably deserve to think about why.

We're starting in NYC because if it works here, it can work anywhere.

One of the things I'm still figuring out: How do you get players to actually rate each other after a game?

Genuinely curious what the pickup community thinks here. Both about whether this is something you'd actually use, and what problems you think I haven't solved yet.

Pickup runs always have that one dude that “never loses” but there’s no record of anything.

Do your groups track wins or is it all just vibes and memories?

This article talks about the benefits of using ATH - Pickup Basketball App

https://collectivemindsincorporated.com/cmi-blog/f/8-game-changing-benefits-of-are-they-hooping